Cry Babies and Mrs Potato Heads
by Myra109
Summary: This is a series of one shots based off of Melanie Martinez songs to go along with the Descendents characters and their relationships. NOT SONGFICS
1. Chad and Evie: Carousel

_Hello, these are NOT songfics. They are simply based off of songs by Melanie Martinez._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

 **WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF BOYXBOY AND JAYLOS, LANGUAGE**

* * *

 _And it's all fun and games,_

 _'Til somebody falls in love,_

 _But you've already bought a ticket,_

 _And there's no turning back now_

 _Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,_

 _Will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,_

 _Chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,_

 _Feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel_

-"Carousel" by Mealnie Martinez

* * *

Evie didn't understand it. She was pretty; she was polite; she was everything a guy could ask for, aside from her heritage, which was a bit shady.

So why didn't Chad want her? Was she not good enough? Not pretty enough?

Chasing after him was exhausting. He always tricked her into thinking that they could work, and then turned on his heel, calling her evil over his shoulder.

It sucked, to say the least.

This... this relationship made her feel stuck, glued to a single spot and leaving her unable to run. He was only an inch away from her fingertips, along with everything she'd ever dreamed of. A prince, love, but is it love when there isn't any? You didn't need to be a genius to answer that one.

"Hey, E," Mal said from the doorway. "What's up? You look a bit depressed."

"Chad rejected me again," Evie sighed.

Mal sighed in return; they'd had this conversation many times. "Just forget him, E. He's a narcissist, and there's no room in his heart for anyone but himself. And if there is, it isn't big enough to last."

Evie shrugged. "It's just... I've been dreaming of marrying a prince all my life, and now that the chance is here, it's like I'm stuck. So close, but not getting any closer."

Mal hesitated. "Is it your dream, Evie? Or is it your mother's?"

Evie huffed. "I don't even know anymore."

Mal seated herself on the bed beside her best friend and tapped her feet on the floor.

"You know... you kind of remind me of Carlos and Gerald."

Evie frowned. "Who?"

Mal laughed. "Oh, sorry, I forgot you weren't there. You know Carlos is gay, right?"

Evie snorted. "I've been best friends with him for several months; if I didn't know by now, I wouldn't be a very good friend, now would I?"

Mal nodded. "Anyway, a month before you came to school with us, he fell for this guy named Gerald. Gerald was... nice on the outside, but a total jerk, just like Chad. Carlos started dating him. In secret, of course; that kind of thing isn't excepted on the Isle.

"Carlos kissed him a week before you came. The next day, Gerald was spreading awful rumors, even by Isle of the Lost standards. That he was a slut, a whore, sleeping around." Mal said this so low and angry that Evie almost didn't hear her. "Carlos knew that he was no good, but he didn't leave. Next thing he knew, what was left of his reputation was shattered."

Mal stood up. "I need to go meet Ben, but you should go talk to Carlos. I don't want the same thing to happen to you, E. Jay and I can only fix so many hearts after they're broken, almost beyond repair."

Mal left Evie sitting alone, and the daughter of the Evil Queen went to meet her youngest friend.

* * *

She found him writing in a journal on the Tourney field. Carlos was a man of science and math, but he also enjoyed journaling and reading (mostly sci-fi, but still).

"Hey, Carlos," she greeted.

He looked up and smiled. "Hey, Evie. Here to talk about Chad and Gerry?"

She jolted. "How did you-"

Carlos shrugged. "I know things. Now, what do you want to know?"

"How did you stop... chasing after him?"

Carlos sighed. "It was hard, torturous. Love usually is. But Evie... when someone steals your heart, you have to take it back. A heart is to be given, not stolen. I'm going to tell you something, but you need to promise me you will never tell anyone, not even Mal and especially not Jay."

Evie nodded. "What is it?"

"After Gerry, I got more acquainted with Jay, and I was falling all over again. I love Jay, and I mean head over heals, tripping and blushing every time you see them kind of love. Jay's different than Gerry was; he's the kind of person that you can wait for, not one you chase after.

"But the point is... Gerry hated me when I started hanging out with Jay. After I became friends with him, Gerry asked me on a date, gave me presents, and such, but I knew his game by now. I wasn't going to fall for it again. I wanted to- oh, I wanted to- but I was strong, and I said no. That was my revenge."

Evie smiled. "You got revenge on Gerry by being happy..."

Carlos nodded. "And you can do the same with Chad."

"How?"

"I see the looks you give Doug, Evie. Here's the plan..."

* * *

The next day was a Saturday, and Evie shouldered Chad's backpack (she'd been doing his homework for him, but it was completely undone inside the bag). Then, she strolled across the courtyard, appearing to be a woman on a mission, and I suppose she was.

People cleared a path for her, staring at Evie Queen, who looked so much like her mother in that moment, it was eerie. They were surprised she wasn't carrying a poisoned apple.

The blue haired girl from the Isle of the Lost stormed over to Chad Charming, and she smiled at him, almost angelically.

She dropped his backpack in his lap with unnecessary force.

"I'm done with your games, Chad. Find another girl to chase after you." She told him, sweetly. "I'm not doing it anymore. Now, if you don't mind, I have a question to ask of a true gentleman."

Then, Evie strolled over to where Doug was sitting, staring at her in confusion, and seated herself beside him.

"Hey, Doug. How would you like to go on a date?"

His jaw dropped. "Me? You're not doing this to get back at Chad, are you?" He asked in disappointment.

She shook her head. "No, I genuinely want to date you. You're not a prince, but you're a way better person than Chad will ever be, and that's what matters."

He smiled. "Let's do it."

When Evie walked away with her hand intertwined in her new boyfriend's, she noticed Chad's jaw hanging wide open and hoped a fly flew in there at some point.

Doug didn't steal her heart, to use modern words. He earned it; he loved her more than Chad every had or ever would.

Evie hopped off of the carousel, finally unstuck, and now, Chad took her place.

He tried everything to win her back: gifts, compliments, promises of being a better person and such.

But Evie was wiser. Hurt has a way of making us stronger, and Evie was no exception.

The carnival of love didn't end. Evie was just taking someone else, and the ride was much more fun this way.

* * *

 _It was okay. I like the song, but it isn't one that really speaks to me, so this chapter was a little hard to write, but Dollhouse... I'd like to think that's hoping to be a pretty good chapter._

 _Anyway, hope you all liked it. Make sure to hit the review button._


	2. Core Four: Dollhouse

_line breaks: separate change in point of view_

 _... separates two different events within one point of view._

 _for example:_

 _Jay did this_

 _..._

 _Jay did that_

Line break

 _Changes to Mal's point of view._

 _Hope that makes sense._

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

 **WARNINGS: CHILD ABUSE!**

* * *

 _Places, places, get in your places_

 _Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces_

 _Everyone thinks that we're perfect_

 _Please don't let them look through the curtains_

 _Picture, picture, smile for the picture_

 _Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?_

 _Everyone thinks that we're perfect_

 _Please don't let them look through the curtains_

-"Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

"Just like his father," Jay heard a woman hiss as he passed.

"Looks almost exactly like him," a man said.

"Does everything his father tells him," a woman whispered. "He's a pick pocket, a robber, violent. Evil."

"I wish I had a child like that. My daughter won't even steal candy from a baby," one muttered in disappointment.

"Two peas in a pod, Jafar and his son," someone said. "A perfectly evil family."

If only they knew...

...

Jay laid on the rug under the shelf that sagged beneath the heavy weight of televisions and radios. He could hear giggling next door; his father was with another girl.

Not for the first time, Jay prayed for his mother-whever she may be- to wake up and realize that he wasn't his father and that he needed her.

He would never say that aloud, though; he's supposed to be a villain. He's not supposed to _need_ anyone.

And yet he does.

...

"You little brat!" Jafar yelled. "Couldn't even being me a good tea pot!"

"Dad, I-"

"Shut your mouth. Business is suffering because you're never here. You're always out with those _friends_ of yours!" His father spat the word friends like it was poison on his tongue.

"They're not my friends," Jay replied, although they both knew that wasn't true. "They're my allies. We get along just enough to take over the Isle with our evilness!"

"That can't possibly be a word, stupid!"

"I do everything you ask. What will it take-"

"What?" His father mocked. "What will it take for me to love you? Jay, I think it's about time you learned that villains love no one but themselves. That is the number one rule. I will never love you."

Jay would be lying if he said that wouldn't be a knife to the gut.

His father reached for his belt.

"Take off your shirt, Jayden."

Jay gulped before doing as his father asked. It always hurt more when he hesitated or disobeyed entirely.

Jafar shut the curtains. The villains on the Isle were evil, but hurting your child... that crossed an invisible line. One out of every twenty villains on the Isle abused their child, and keep in mind, the Isle's original population wasn't even a hundred. The population hadn't started to grow until villains started having kids.

Jafar unbuckled his belt and started walking towards Jay, who stood as still as possible and tried to control the fearful tremors racking his body.

Needless to say, Jay couldn't lay on his back that night.

* * *

"There goes Mal, daughter of Maleficent!"

"She's so evil, just like her mother."

"They're more like evil twins than mother and daughter!"

"If anyone is going to get off this island and rule Aurodan, it's those two. Even I can admit that."

"They're a clever duo."

"They're a perfectly evil family."

Mal sighed as she passed the gossiping villains.

If only they knew...

...

"You little runt!" Maleficent shouted, smacking Mal around the head. "How many times have I told you to stop hanging around those goody two shoes?"

"Mother," Mal said as calmly as she could muster. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me. That De Vil boy, the one who actually shows up on time to school, gets good grades-"

"Easy to control," Mal said, although that wasn't the reason she spent time with Carlos. It was one of the reasons she started hanging out with him, but it wasn't why she continued doing so.

"That... Evie girl. The most evil thing she's done is lead on a man, and every woman does that at some point in her life."

Mal wanted to disagree with the last part, but she didn't dare contradict her mother.

"She gets us what we want," Mal said. "She can be _very_ persuasive."

That wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the reason Mal was allies with Evie (Mal flat out refused to say she was friends with anyone). Mal could relate to Evie; they were as close to friends as villains got. If Evie weren't there, the rotten four would fall apart. Even Mal could admit that.

"That pathetic street rat, then! He's nothing but a pick pocket. They have those in Aurodan for Pete's sake! Face it, Mal, your _friends_ aren't nearly evil enough for you to hang out with them. Heaven forbid, they make you _good_."

"They're not my friends, Mother," Mal denied. "They're my minions. Nothing more, and they will not make me good. I am evil. I always will be. Apart, I'll admit they aren't impressive, but together, they prove to be good assets to my plans to do and be evil."

Maleficent snarled and slapped her.

"You have one week to prove they're truly evil before I get involved."

Maleficent gave her another smack before storming off.

"Continue your studies," she called over her shoulder. "Don't disappoint me... for once."

Mal pursed her lips before her eyes zeroed in on the window, where nosy townsfolk were peaking inside. They were muttering amongst themselves; they had obviously watched the fight play out.

When they saw her turn toward them, they turned tail and ran.

Mal growled and wisked the curtains shut.

Everyone thinks they're a perfectly evil family, but their thoughts and beliefs would surely change if they saw what went on behind closed doors. Don't let them look through the curtains.

* * *

"Cruella De Vil, so beautiful, so evil!"

"And her son. Not evil as he could be, but he is certainly smart. He would be a valuable asset in any plan."

"Did you hear that he almost broke the barrier?"

For the record, he really did break it, but the Rotten four were keeping that under wraps.

"His mother must be so proud. He's clever, just like her!"

"A perfectly evil family."

Carlos listened intently as he passed the villains huddling on the side of the street and talking about him and his mother.

If only they knew...

...

Cruella De Vil. Beautiful. Clever. Evil. Perfect from a villain's point of view.

Ha! You're blinded by her fur coats.

There was a reason no one ever visited Hell Hall. If you did, you'd see bottles of alcohol stacked high on end tables and hidden in every hiding place imaginable. Alcohol was hard to come by on the island, but Cruella always seemed to be at the docks when left over alcohol from parties and old bottles from liquor stores arrived.

Carlos watched his mother swallow a few sips of her alcohol before sneaking past her and retiring to his 'bedroom'. As if he could call a square of floor in his mom's Dressing Room his bedroom.

Carlos laid on the floor and stared out the window at Evie's home, the towers of the castle peaking above the tree line. He could always go there. Evil Queen wouldn't be winning any parent of the year awards, but Evie undoubtedly had the best parent out of the four of them.

Carlos sighed. Things weren't that bad right now. He was a villain; he shouldn't need help. He couldn't run to Evie every time his mother got drunk. He was a villain. He didn't need help.

He was lying to himself and doing it badly.

"You little brat!"

The door almost flew off its hinges as his intoxicated mother blasted through it, holding a bottle by the neck. Carlos tried to scramble away, but she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back.

His mother began shaking him, shouting slurred insults, before dragging him out of the room and down the stairs.

Carlos was thrown to the floor and kicked three times before being dragged back up by his upper arms.

"I hate you!" Cruella slurred. "You've been a bad boy, and bad boys deserve to be punished!" Cruella yelled, shaking him.

A slight gasp made Carlos turn his head, and he saw Evie looking through the window. Cruella didn't notice her as she tugged Carlos toward the closet.

She opened the door and thrust him into darkness before locking the door behind him.

Carlos huddled on the floor, trembling in the claustrophobic space.

Evie knew his darkest secret.

"Some day they'll see what goes down in the kitchen,' he thought, and that day had come.

* * *

"Oh my gosh, Evie Queen! She looks just like her mother."

"Her make up is impeccable!"

"She's stunning," one admitted with an undertone of bitterness.

"She's her mother in miniature!"

"She'll have people wrapped around her little finger!"

"Just like her mom. Her beauty is unlimited persuasion on its own."

"They're a perfectly evil family."

Evie smirked as she passed.

If only they knew...

...

Evie smoothed down her dress before picking up her mascara and running it over her eye lashes.

"Evie, darling!" Evil Queen muttered in disappointment as she appeared in the doorway. "Oh my goodness... let's fix this," she muttered, gesturing to Evie's face.

"But Mother, I... I did it just as you told me, too."

"You obviously didn't do it as well as I did," she murmured. "Evie, you're beautiful, but... your make up is like that of a clown."

"Mom," Evie said as her mother picked up a brush and began to put blush on her daughter's pale cheeks. "Do you think I could really be the fairest of them all?"

"Of course!"

Evie grinned at the praise.

"After I'm dead."

Evie visibly deflated at the low key insult.

"Sit still, Evie, I need to cover up this ugly scar on your cheek."

Yeah... the scar from your ring after you had a crazy episode a few months back, Evie thought.

Ugly, ugly, ugly...

Evil queen rarely physically hurt Evie, but the words hurt more than the rare slaps. The worst part?

Evil Queen didn't even realize how much her words hurt Evie. Is it really abuse when the person doesn't realize they're hurting the child?

Yes.

...

"Evie, don't eat that!" Her mother scolded as she snatched the rotten apple from Evie's hand. "We don't want you getting fat on us."

Evie's stomach gurgled and howled. She didn't remember the last time her mother had let her eat.

"Mother, just one bite," Evie begged.

"No, Evie, you're already pudgy. Princes don't go for obese whales."

Evie nodded before exiting the room and heading for the stairs.

Evie leaned against her bedroom door and sunk to the ground.

Would she ever be good enough for her mother?

* * *

 **D**

Jay listened to his father shout insults as the belt snapped against Jay's exposed back, causing blood to run down his skin.

The words hurt more than the punishment.

 **O**

Mal rubbed her stinging cheek, remembering her mother's disappointment and hurtful words.

The verbal abuse hurt more than the blows.

 **L**

Carlos trembled in the darkness of the closet, frightened of the shadows lurking in the blackness, but he didn't dare beg for his mother to let him out.

He was more scared of the monster lying on the couch with a bottle of alcohol than the shadows in the closet.

 **L**

Evie slammed her fists against her empty stomach, trying to stop the obnoxious and annoying growling, but it refused to shut up. The only thing louder were the voices in her head.

Ugly, ugly, ugly, fat, fat, fat!

Her mother's insults hurt more than the piercing ache in the empty well that was her stomach.

 **H**

Jay would never admit it, but he cried himself to sleep.

 **O**

Mal wiped a single tear from her cheek before heading to bed, refusing to shed another tear.

 **U**

Carlos drew in a shaky breath that quickly turned into a sob as he curled up on his side and drifted off, still inside the closet.

 **S**

Evie didn't even bother crawling into bed as she laid on the floor and tried to sleep, forcing down tears to avoid ruining the make up her mother thought she desperately needed.

 **E**

* * *

 _"D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E! I see things that nobody else sees."_

-"Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

 _Well, the ending was in a different format than what I usually write. Hope it still turned out okay._

 _Hit the review button._

 _I take song suggestions! They need to be by Melanie Martinez._

 _Thanks for reading_


	3. Jane: Mrs Potato Head

_I hope you enjoy this chapter._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

 ** _WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF EATING DISORDERS_**

* * *

 _Oh Mrs. Potato Head tell me_  
 _Is it true that pain is beauty?_  
 _Does a new face come with a warranty?_  
 _Will a pretty face make it better?_  
 _Oh Mr. Potato Head tell me_  
 _How did you afford her surgery?_  
 _Do you swear you'll stay forever_  
Even if her face don't stay together  
-"Mrs. Potato Head" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

In Jane's mind, she hadn't been born with a pretty face.

Her skin was too pale, her features those of a child, despite her teenage years. Her hair was straight and flat as a board and could never seen to grow past her chin. Her eyes were a watery blue, and her mother never let her wear anything outside of a blue dress that no one except her mother had been seen in since the 1930s.

Don't get Jane wrong; she loved her mother, but her mother didn't make an effort to understand the trials of teenage life. Her mother had always had magic to fall back on. When you had magic, hair and beauty didn't seem to matter; the powerful magic made you popular, automatically.

Jane stared into the mirror, pinching her chubby cheeks and blinking her watery eyes. She smoothed down her dress, curled her now longer hair (thanks to Mal), but in her mind, nothing she did made her look pretty.

Her hair had definitely helped, but it hadn't been long before the hair hadn't been enough because all she could pay attention to was her button nose and her childish features and her broad shoulders.

Jane reached under her bed and withdrew a card board box.

A part of her didn't want to go through with this; after all, her mother worked at the school. There was no hiding it... and yet the other part didn't care. Beauty was almost within her reach, and she couldn't let it go.

Jane pulled an outfit out of the box, and she slipped on a skirt that came a little over half way down her thighs. The skirt was followed by a tank top, and she shrugged on a tight hoodie, zipping it half way up.

She looked just like the cool girls now. There was just one more thing she needed to do.

She reached into the box and pulled out a business card.

Dr. David Elijah  
Plastic surgeon

A phone number was written below.

"Hey, Jane," Evie said as she opened the door, and Jane rushed to drop the card into the box and kick the box under the bed. "Woah."

Evie gaped at Jane, who was wearing something she would typically never wear and was in the midst of putting on make up.

"Hey, Evie, what's up?" Jane asked, brushing blush across her face.

"What are you wearing?" Evie asked as she crossed the room.

"Do you like it?" Jane asked.

Evie blinked. "Yes... but it's not you. The Jane I knew would be wearing a blue dress with little to no make up."

Jane sighed. "That's the version of me my mother created. This is what I want to look like, not what she wants."

Evie sighed. "Jane, I'm going to ask you a question Mal asked me when I started sowing... Are you making that outfit because it represents you or what you want people to think of you? Jane, why are you really dressing like that?"

"I'm tired of being the lame girl," Jane replied. "I look around and see all these cool kids, and I want to be a part of that."

"Jane, will a pretty face make it better?" Evie replied. "I speak from experience when I say this: It doesn't. If anything, it makes it worse because the prettier you are, the more people are jealous and the more enemies you have. You lose valuable time with the people who care about you because you're wasting time picking out an outfit or putting on make up. Jane, you look prettiest when you're happy."

Jane didn't meet her eyes.

"Jane, word of the wise: dress and act like the person you want to be. Not your mother, not society, what _you_ want to be."

Evie left, and Jane changed back into her usual dress and wiped off the make up.

The card stayed in the box.

Maybe some other day.

* * *

"Jane, have you lost weight?" Audrey asked. "You have to tell me your secret."

"Discipline," Jane replied. "After you learn that, it's easy."

Audrey hadn't been the only person to compliment Jane on her slimmer figure. Several students, girls and boys alike, had stopped her in the hall today to mention it. If they were to ask how she did it, Jane would reply with _discipline_.

After all, if she said she hadn't eaten in a week, they'd throw her in a hospital so fast, it'd make her head spin.

Jane had always had what she called a potato body shape. Her body was oval with bumps and curves in all the wrong places. Now, she resembled a French fry, narrow, slim, and 9 times out of ten, people don't want to eat a plain, raw potato, but she'd never met a person who didn't like french fries.

Weird comparison, but you get her point.

Everything was great for Jane until she took it one step too far.

* * *

Gym class had arrived, and Jane swallowed some water, trying to fuel her non existent energy. Without food, her body was running on empty.

"Jane!" Mal called as Jane joined their volleyball team (them being Mal, Audrey, Lonnie, Ali, Emily White, Ashleen Charming, and Evie). "You can serve."

The ball met Jane's hands, and a dizzy spell overwhelmed her, making her sway, dangerously.

Jane took a shaky breath as she raised her hand to serve the ball overhand.

She had barely tossed the ball into the air before the world went black, and she collided with the gym floor.

* * *

When Jane came to, she was in the nurse's office. Mal was the only one with her.

"The others were here, but we started taking turns because we couldn't keep cutting class. The others go to class while somebody stays here and somebody gets them the work. Each class period, we switch," Mal explained. "Why, Jane?"

"Why what?" Jane asked.

"You know what I mean. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Your insecurity, the sudden weight loss, why we never see you at meals, the fainting spell. It's not rocket science. Why?"

"I just want to be pretty," Jane whispered. "Is that too much to ask?"

"Jane, pain is not beauty; pretty should not have to hurt. You're already beautiful."

Jane snorted in disbelief.

Mal sighed. "I know you probably don't believe me, but-"

The shrill ring of the bell interrupted her.

"Well," Mal said as she stood, "It's time for me to switch with Evie. I'll get the nurse and tell her you're awake. And Jane? You're prettiest when you're happy."

Evie had told her the same thing...

Mal left Jane with a lot to think about.

* * *

Jane sat on her bed and stared at the business card in her hand.

She wasn't pretty, and she was rapidly growing into her mother's face. Her mother was beautiful, but Jane didn't want to be a clone to her mother. She wanted to be herself, and she didn't want to share her looks with her mother because then, everyone would treat her like she was _just like_ her mother.

Jane sighed.

 _"Jane, you look prettiest when you're happy."_

Evie and Mal had both told her that.

 _"Jane, word of the wise: dress and act like the person you want to be. Not your mother, not society, what **you** want to be."_

Jane smiled, ripping up the card for the plastic surgeon, and stood up to approach her closet.

It was time to embrace who she was.

* * *

"Hey, guys," she greeted, and her friends turned, their jaws on the floor.

Jane was wearing an uneven orange skirt that reached half way down her calf on one side before cutting diagonally across her front to stop just above her knee. She wore no make up, and her hair fell free, out of its usual headband. A pale blue hoodie was pulled over her shoulders, left unzipped to reveal her shirt. A white, baggy shirt swallowed her torso and chest, but it was in an attractive way. Across the front of the shirt, in big, bolded, colorful markers with small designs surrounding the big picture, a statement was written:

 **You're prettiest when you're happy.**

"Wow," Mal said. "Now, _that_ is beauty."

Jane smiled and sat beside her friends before finally letting go of the Jane her mother had created and the Jane _she_ had tried to create to please society. She talked and laughed and spent time with her friends without giving one thought to her appearance or her popularity or any of that.

And she was finally happy.

* * *

 _Honestly, the Dollhouse chapter is still my favorite, but I don't think this chapter was bad._

 _Leave reviews. You're allowed to have an opinion, but I don't know what it is unless you review._

 _Remember: I take suggestions. Character and a song by Melanie Martinez._


	4. Mal And Ben: Soap

_Hi, guys._

 _This is a suggestion from Eagleshine._

 _This takes place in Descendents 2 after they have the fight at the picnic and Ben finds Mal's spell book and when Mal goes back to the Isle (spoiler for the movie, sorry, but I'm sure you've heard of it by now if you haven't seen the movie yourself)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

 ** _WARNINGS: SLIGHT CHILD ABUSE (NOT VERY GRAPHIC, THOUGH)_**

* * *

 _I'm tired of being careful, gentle, trying to keep the water warm_  
 _Let me under your skin_  
 _Uh-oh, there it goes, I said too much, it overflowed_  
 _Why do I always spill?_  
 _I feel it coming out my throat_  
 _Guess I better wash my mouth out with soap_  
 _God, I wish I never spoke_  
 _Now I gotta wash my mouth out with soap_  
-"Soap" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

Mal had said a lot of stupid things in her life, but she had never wished so much that she could take something back. The funny thing is... it was probably the one thing in her life she felt like she had gotten right up until that moment.

Why did she have to tell Ben she loved him?

It wasn't like Mal didn't love Ben; she did, but... saying I love you... it makes it real.

Now, she was supposed to be this perfect princess, this wonderful good girl. Some even considered her a hero, and Ben expected her to live up to what everyone said about her. Mal just didn't think she could do it.

In that moment, Mal wanted to snatched back the time she told Ben she loved him for the first time. If she hadn't said that she loved him, she wouldn't be dealing with this right now. All this hurt, this anger, this heart break, hate for herself and Ben and the world.

Saying I love you had never gotten her into any good situations.

 ***FLASHBACK***

Mal hadn't meant to say the words I love you to her mother, but they'd slipped out of her eight year old throat.

Her mother's expression went from cold to downright frigid in a second.

"What did you just say?" She snapped.

Mal stumbled backward, picking up on her mother's rage and hostility immediately.

"Nothing, Mother," she squeaked.

"Don't lie to me, brat!" Her mother yelled, grabbing Mal by the front of her shirt and yanking her up until she was clinging to the floor with the tips of her toes. "You said you loved me, didn't you?" She whispered, dangerously quiet.

Mal gulped before replying:

"Yes, Mother. I didn't mean to-"

Her mother sighed. "Oh, Mal, the things we don't mean to do are the things we want to do and say. Just because we didn't mean to do or say them doesn't mean you didn't think about it."

Mal flinched at her mother's quiet murmur. She was always the scariest when she was quiet.

"Come with me," her mother snapped.

Her mother didn't give her much of a choice. Maleficent grasped Mal's shoulder in a bruising grip and dragged her through the house, shoving and walking faster than Mal's much smaller legs could keep up with.

Maleficent finally stopped in the bathroom, and she picked up the bar of soap beside the sink and shoved it into Mal's mouth.

Mal tried to spit it out, but her mother slapped her.

"Don't spit it out. You will chew it and swallow it. The entire thing. And then, tomorrow, you will steal me another bar of soap. Got it?" Her mother hissed.

Mal nodded, fearfully, before chewing the soap with her mother watching intently and gulping down the soap.

Mal gagged as her mother watched with an expression that seemed to say 'good riddance' before turning her back on Mal.

"You should know better than to love me," her mother said, emotionless, "because you should know that I don't love you."

Her mother left the room, and Mal was left with an awful taste in her mouth, a developing stomach ache, and an even worse ache in her heart.

 ***FLASHBACK OVER***

Mal mounted her purple moped and quickly cast a spell from her mother's spell book. A bridge appeared from Aurodan to the Isle of the Lost.

She was going home, where there was no love.

Mal turned on the moped and sped off.

As she glanced over her shoulder and remembered the day she told Ben she loved him, she felt the urge to wash her mouth out with soap.

* * *

Ben didn't regret saying he loved Mal, but he did regret judging her.

Ben loved Mal like his mom loved his dad, maybe even more so. She could act like a complete monster, and many people saw her as that for the longest time, but Ben had been able to see the good within.

 _"And I was giving you props for doing so well!"_

Ben ran his hands through his hair, tugging on it to try and block out the memory.

 _"For doing your best!"_

Ben sat on his bed and put his head in his hands.

 _"Some things are hard!"_

Had he seriously said that?

 _"Do you think learning to be king isn't hard?"_

He'd made it all about him when Mal needed him to be there for her.

"Ben?"

Ben spun around to see Evie standing in the doorway.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Mal's gone back to the Isle."

Ben's heart stopped. Or actually... no, it didn't stop. It broke.

 _"This isn't the Isle of the Lost!"_

 _"Believe me, I know that!"_

He hadn't noticed...

When Ben was younger, his mom would wash his mouth out with soap if he said something hurtful to or about another person.

Now, Ben actually considered washing his own mouth out with soap.

But first, he had a girlfriend to find and bring home.

* * *

 _What did you think? I never really related to this song, and I write best about songs I relate to, so any kind of feed back would be appreciated._

 _Thanks for reading! I take suggestions._


	5. Core Four: Tag, You're It

_This is chapter 5. Darker than chapters 1, 3, and 4, but not darker than chapter 2._

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Descendents._**

 ** _WARNINGS: ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING, VERY BRIEF CHILD ABUSE_**

* * *

 _Running through the parking lot_

 _He chased me and he wouldn't stop_

 _Tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it_

 _Grabbed my hand, pushed me down_

 _Took the words right out my mouth_

 _Tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it_

 _Can anybody hear me I'm hidden under ground_

 _Can anybody hear me am I talking to myself_

 _Saying, "tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it"_

 _He's saying, "tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it"_

-"Tag, You're It" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

Each member of the Rotten Four were almost kidnapped once.

The first time was Mal.

Mal strolled down the sidewalk, kicking pebbles and abandoned pieces of trash as she went. She was only six, but she already gave off a 'tough girl' vibe.

People steered clear of her as she glared at them out of the corner of her eyes; her glare was already one worthy of her mother, and everyone knew not to mess with her.

But one person was either very stupid or very daring.

"Hey, sweetheart!" A man's voice called, and Mal- so independent and strong, but still young and naive- stopped and turned towards the person calling her.

The man was around six feet and towered over her; his brown hair was streaked with gray, and stubble clung to his chin. Dark bags surrounded his creepy brown eyes. A gray jacket hung off of his wiry form; his jeans sagged around his ankles, frayed, and he smelled of smoke.

Not all creeps _look_ like creeps, if you know what I mean, but this one certainly did.

"What do you want?" She spat, having been taught to be rude and cruel to every person that crossed her path (except for her mother. She was the one exception, and Mal wasn't dumb enough to challenge that).

"Why don't you come with me?" he asked, grinning and displaying his rotten teeth.

"No, thanks," Mal drawled.

The six year old tried to walk away, but an iron clamp on her wrist yanked her back.

"Come on, honey," he laughed, his foul breath wafting over her face.

"Geesh," she gagged. "Ever heard of a tooth brush?"

While he was distracted by her words, she stamped on his foot, and he released her in order to kneel over in pain.

Mal sprinted through town, pushing people out of her way. The man was behind her; she could hear him calling through the crowd, calling her sweetheart and honey and whatnot.

Mal whirled around a corner and slid under a small sheet of metal leaning against a house, partially hidden by the shadows. Dust clouded her vision, and she watched through a small gap between the wall and the metal as the man dashed by without noticing her.

"What are you doing?" A voice asked.

She spun around to see a kid around her age, maybe a few months older, sitting beside her, brushing his long, black hair out of his face as he glanced over her shoulder.

"Was he chasing you?" He asked, curiously.

Mal nodded. "Yeah. Now, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged and stabbed a thumb over his shoulder. Mal glanced toward where his thumb was directing her line of sight, and she watched as two tough looking guys stopped near their hiding place.

"Where are you, boy?" One of them shouted.

The other cursed. "We need to find him. That father of his is going to pay."

Then, they raced off.

Mal turned back to the boy.

She couldn't believe it; they were both hiding for the same reasons.

She isn't sure why she did it, but she stuck out her hand.

"I'm Mal," she introduced.

He raised an eyebrow and shook her hand.

"Jay."

* * *

The second time was Jay, and coincidentally, it happened almost at the same time as Mal. He just got away faster.

The attack was sudden, and if Jay had been a split second slower, who knows where he would be today?

Jay ducked into an alley as Gaston Jr. ran by, cursing Jay, who snickered and tucked the other boy's mirror into his pocket.

Jay cried out as a large, burly, and much older man pounced on him, appearing from the shadows, and pinned Jay against a wall.

"What-" He gasped.

"Your father is going to pay for trying to pull the wool over our eyes, boy!" Another man- tall, skinny, and with crooked teeth- sneered as he appeared at the other man's side.

"What? Take that up with my father, not me!" Jay growled.

"Well, you see, your father will experience even more reget if he discovers we have his number one supplier in our custody," the second man said with gritted teeth. "You're coming with us, boy."

Jay saw an opening.

"I don't think so," he snarled before kicking the larger man between the legs and ducking beneath his arm.

Jay Gemstone ran for dear life.

The men were chasing him, and Jay skidded around a corner; he slid beneath a sheet of metal and waited, his heart pounding.

The sheet of metal shifted, and Jay jumped, ready to run if need be, but it was only a girl.

She sat beside him and glanced through a small gap between the wall and the metal.

A haggard man that looked like he hadn't bathed in ages dashed past.

"What are you doing?" Jay questioned.

The girl spun around, revealing her sweaty violet bangs and emerald eyes.

"Was he chasing you?" He asked, curiously.

Could they really be hiding for the same reason?

The girl nodded. "Yeah. Now, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged and stabbed a thumb over his shoulder, just as the two men caught up to Jay's fast pace and paused less than three yards away from them.

"Where are you, boy?" One of them shouted.

The other cursed. "We need to find him. That father of his is going to pay."

Then, they raced off.

The girl blinked and turned back to him, sticking out her hand.

"I'm Mal," she introduced.

He raised an eyebrow at the almost _friendly_ greeting and shook her hand.

"Jay," he responded.

* * *

The third time was Evie.

She was eight at the time and a rather pretty eight year old, I might add. Although she had yet to develop, the heaping amounts of make up and the pretty clothes her mother had her wear made her appear older than she was.

Surprisingly, though, Evie was not targeted by a creep. She wasn't even targeted by someone with a _reason_. No. She was targeted by a crazy old bat by the name of Cruella De Vil.

Evie didn't the leave the castle often, but her mother allowed her to go on walks through the woods. That's how she found herself near Hell Hall that day.

"Sweetie!" A slightly drunken voice called, and Evie turned to see a woman in furs stumbling towards her.

"Yes?" Evie called, politely.

"Come with me," Cruella said right off the bat, grabbing Evie by the hair and dragging her towards Hell Hall.

It happened so fast, Evie didn't even have time to process it before they were at Cruella's front door.

"Let me go!" She yelled, and the door opened.

"Mother!" A boy a little younger than her exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Not now, Carlos. Back inside!" The woman barked.

"Mother, what-" Carlos demanded.

"And go put the dog in her cage," the woman sniffed, thrusting Evie at Carlos and storming inside.

Carlos turned to her.

"I am so sorry," he hissed. "My mother... she's not in her right mind. Go now."

Carlos didn't need to tell Evie twice.

Evie dashed into the forest, the leaves crunching under her shoes, and Cruella reappeared in the doorway at the ruckus.

"Carlos!" She screeched. "You let the dog get away!"

Cruella's hand came down on Carlos's face so hard, he tumbled to the floor, and she kicked him in the ribs before running after Evie.

Evie didn't stop running until she reached her front door, and she watched from a window as Cruella paused before huffing and turning on her heel to return to Hell Hall.

Evie thought of the fear coursing through her veins at the thought of possibly never returning home. She also remembered the small boy that helped her...

Evie promised herself that one day, she would find a way to return the favor.

Five years later, her chance came.

* * *

The fourth and final time was Carlos.

Carlos was eleven, and he never did figure out what his kidnappers had wanted from him.

Carlos walked down the street, concealing some stolen food in his jacket, and he felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him turn around.

He wished he hadn't.

A hand clamped over his lips, and strong arms yanked him into an alley.

Carlos's yell was muffled by the hand over his mouth, and he feared for his life and safety (as much safety as he had on the Isle), but little did he know, someone had seen them.

Carlos was slammed into a brick wall, and he flinched as his skull bounced off of the hard surface.

"Hello," Harry Hook smirked, dragging his hook along Carlos's jaw, creating a narrow cut. "Carlos, isn't it?"

"What do you want, Harry?" Carlos growled.

"We just want you to come with us," Harry replied.

"Why?" Carlos muttered. "What do you want?"

"Well," Gil began, and Carlos jumped, having not realized he was there, "we-"

"Gil!" Harry hissed before turning back to Carlos. "That's for us to know and you to find out later. Gil, grab his other arm."

Gil and Harry each grabbed one of his arms, and Carlos cried out as he struggled.

Harry suddenly yelped as a trash can lid crashed over his head, knocking him to the ground, conscious but dazed.

Gil didn't even have time to turn around before he was given the same treatment. Only, this time, Gil was knocked out cold.

"Run!" A blue haired girl yelled as Harry began to struggle to his feet.

Carlos and the girl ran for dear life while Harry stumbled a few feet before bolting after them.

"Get back here, De Vil!" He yelled.

Evie and Carlos disappeared into the forest at the edge of the town, and Carlos risked a glance over his shoulder.

Harry stuttered to a stop and leaned over in exhaustion, his hands on his knees.

"This isn't over!" Harry shouted, breathlessly.

Evie and Carlos ran deeper into the woods, and once they deemed themselves safe, they paused to catch their breath.

"Thanks," Carlos gasped.

The girl shrugged. "You saved me once, remember?"

Carlos blinked before it came rushing back.

 _His deranged mother dragging a struggling eight year old girl by her blue hair..._

"You're that girl my mother almost kidnapped," he realized.

Wow, Carlos, what a great way to word that.

"Sorry about that, by the way," he added.

The girl shrugged. "It's not your fault your mother's crazy... no offence."

Carlos laughed. "None taken," he assured her, holding out his hand. "I don't think we've officially met. I'm Carlos."

She grinned and took his hand.

"Evie."

* * *

 _That was chapter 5. I didn't exactly capture the full meaning of the song, but trying to do that would require its own story. I did what I could with a short one shot, so... *shrugs*_


	6. Carlos: Bombs On Monday

_I couldn't follow the song exactly for obvious reasons, but the song is beautiful and one of my favorite Melanie Martinez songs, so I found a way to capture a meaning of the song. Not the exact meaning, but if you read the lyrics, you'll hopefully understand how the chapter captures the meaning of the song._

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Descendents_**

* * *

 _Bombs are falling_

 _On Monday morning_

 _Waiting for the news together_

 _An explosion, any moment_

 _You make moments last forever and ever_

 _(You make moments last forever)_

 _Eyes like hazel_

 _Twinkle in the starlight_

 _Even when they're crying_

 _Even when they're crying_

-"Bombs On Monday" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

"You two are idiots," Mal muttered, fondly, as Carlos and Jay both tried and failed to catch a grape in their mouth.

"Aww, admit it, Mal," Jay drawled. "You love us!"

Mal rolled her eyes. "Actually, I-"

"Mr. De Vil?" Fairy Godmother interrupted her as she appeared beside the table. "Could you come with me?"

Carlos looked up in confusion at the depressed tone; it was the tone somebody used when they were bearing bad news. The woman's face matched her tone of voice; she stared at him in sadness and sympathy, her kind eyes even softer than normal.

Carlos sat his soda can down and stood to follow the woman, feeling his friends' eyes glued to his back.

* * *

"Have a seat, Carlos," Fairy Godmother said as she seated herself behind her desk, and she gestured to the seat across from her.

Carlos. Fairy Godmother rarely called people by their first name; she deemed it unprofessional, and if she were to call someone by their first name, she included a title (for example, King Ben, Princess Audrey, etc.)

Carlos followed the direction and sat across from the headmistress, gazing at the woman in anticipation.

"Carlos, I don't know how to say this," Fairy Godmother said with a sigh, not meeting the boy's eyes.

"Then just say it," Carlos snapped, worry turning to anger and irritation rather quickly. Fairy Godmother wouldn't be acting like this unless the news she was sharing was something to worry about.

"Your mother passed away," Fairy Godmother blurted. She was naturally kind, and delivering bad news was not within her areas of expertise.

Carlos froze, eyes as wide as golf balls.

Carlos had never had a great relationship with his mother, but he'd never wanted her dead. She may be neglectful and abusive, but she was still his mother, and Carlos remembered the days before his mother went crazy. She used to be a mother figure, not just an insane bat. She was beautiful, caring towards Carlos; when the madness began growing inside his mother, infecting every part of her, those were the memories that Carlos clung to.

And now, he couldn't even cling to those memories because they'd always remind him that his mother was dead.

"H-How?" Carlos stammered.

Fairy Godmother sighed, keeping her eyes focused on the wooden desk instead of Carlos's broken, confused, _lost_ eyes.

"There was a fire," she answered. "We believe your mother was in her dressing room when it occurred, and by the time she smelled smoke, the Manor began falling apart. Your mother didn't stand a chance of getting out."

Fairy Godmother opened a nearby drawer and withdrew a stuffed cat. It was blackened with soot, but it was free of burns and other damage.

Fairy Godmother reached across the table, offering the toy to Carlos, who accepted it and stared into the black eyes. It was the one and only gift his mother had ever given him; he'd received it as a baby and mistakenly left it behind when they'd traveled to Aurodan.

"She was holding this," Fairy Godmother explained. "I presume it's yours?"

Carlos nodded, not looking away from the object.

"Her last thought was of you," Fairy Godmother said, softly. "I hope that offers some form of comfort to you."

Carlos nodded, numbly. "May I leave now?"

Fairy Godmother nodded. "And why don't you take the rest of the week off from classes?"

Carlos nodded. "Thanks," he said, flatly, before standing and exiting the room.

* * *

"Where could he be?" Evie asked. "We've checked the whole school!"

After an hour of searching, Carlos had yet to appear, and Evie, Mal, Jay, and Ben were running out of options.

"What do you think Fairy Godmother wanted to see him about?" Ben asked.

"I don't know," Mal answered. "But whatever it was, it wasn't good."

"That's it!" Jay yelled after a moment of silence.

"What?" Evie asked.

"The news wasn't good," Jay reiterated. "Where does Carlos go when he's scared or upset?"

Ben still appeared confused, but Mal and Evie's eyes widened in realization.

"What's going on?" Ben asked, puzzled.

"We know where Carlos is," Mal replied.

* * *

"We've searched here," Ben pointed out as the teens ducked into Jay and Carlos's room.

Jay ignored him and crossed the room to gently place a hand on the doorknob of the closet.

"Carlos," Jay called, opening the closet barely an inch. "Can I come in?"

"No," a muffled voice responded, thick with tears.

"Okay. Well, Mal, Evie, and Ben are here, too. We're just going to sit out here, okay?" Jay asked, slowly. "What happened with Fairy Godmother?"

A sob sounded from the closet, and a string of words followed, but they were overwhelmed by Carlos's tears. Mal, Evie, and Ben stared at the closet in confusion before Jay spoke.

"Carlos, I can't understand you. Could you speak up?"

Carlos sniffled. "She's dead," he whimpered.

"Who, Carlos?" Mal murmured, kinder than anyone had ever seen her.

"My mom."

The four other teenagers immediately became overwhelmed with sympathy as they stared at the small crack between the door and the closet. They could hear the sobs and sniffles of the broken boy hiding among the clothes and the shadows of the darkened closet.

"How?" Jay whispered.

"Fire."

"Carlos," Jay murmured. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry won't bring her back. Sorry won't fix this!" Carlos shouted. "Make me feel better. Now."

Jay smiled, weakly. "Do you remember that time the four of us got together to grow a garden in your front yard?"

"Yeah," Carlos mumbled. "Now, it's nothing but ashes. The fire burned the house, the yard, and some nearby trees... and my mom."

"Carlos, your mother loved it so much," Jay continued.

"She hugged me," Carlos remembered. "She never did that."

Jay nodded. "I don't care if the garden doesn't have a flowers anymore; I'll always remember it as beautiful."

Carlos sniffled and didn't reply.

Jay's smile became more real. "I have an idea. Why don't we grow a garden here at Aurodan Prep just like the one at your house? We loved doing it, and it's... like a part of your mother. I know it's probably not en-"

The closet door opened, and suddenly Carlos was embracing Jay, tears still streaming down his face.

"It's enough," Carlos sobbed. "Will you stay with me, even though I'm..." Carlos trailed off, and they all knew he was referring to his less than stable mental state.

"I'll still love your garden, even with no flowers," Jay promised, which was a yes in _Jay speech_ , wiping the tears from Carlos's face.

Carlos had never been more thankful for his friends.

* * *

 _I know it's not my best chapter, but I hope it was still good._

 _Lyrics meaning for chapter:_

 _The 'bomb' is the fire_

 _'Waiting for the news together' is Jay, Ben, Mal, and Evie trying to figure out what's wrong with Carlos_

 _'An explosion' means Carlos's unstable emotions after discovering his mother is dead_

 _'Moments last forever' is Jay sharing the memory of the garden_

 _Hope the short recap makes sense_


	7. Mal, Ben, Audrey: Pacify Her

_This is a bit of a shorter chapter. That's because, while I like Mal/Ben, I've never been particularly good at writing it because neither character **spoke** to me (I assure you, I am around 70% sane... maybe 50%, but sane is boring, so to heck with it!)_

 _This is a Mal/Ben chapter for Ametuarwriterintraining._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

 ** _OOC BEN!_**

* * *

 _Someone told me stay away from things that aren't yours_

 _But was he yours, if he wanted me so bad?_

 _Pacify her_

 _She's getting on my nerves_

 _You don't love her_

 _Stop lying with those words_

 _Pacify her_

 _She's getting on my nerves_

 _You don't love her_

 _Stop lying with those words_

-"Pacify Her" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

Ben, the soon to be king of Aurodan, walks towards Mal in his blue and gold glory. His handsome face is turned towards the floor with a fake smile plastered across his face; she can tell its fake because the smile doesn't reach his eyes and barely shows any teeth. His arm is linked with Audrey's, and she grins in an almost obnoxious way.

Then, Ben sees Mal, and his face lights up.

"Mal," he greets, "how are you settling in here at Aurodan Prep?"

Mal shrugs. "Okay, I guess."

"That's-" Ben begins.

"I mean," Audrey interrupts, "we don't allow _evil_ like the Isle of the Lost, but at least we have _good_ food and _great_ teachers."

Mal raises an eyebrow. "You do."

 _But at least the Isle didn't have **you** ,_ Mal adds in her mind.

"Anyway," Audrey sing songs, "I have to get going. I'm helping to set up the coronation for soon to be king Ben. See you later, Bennie-Boo."

She pecks Ben on the cheek before sending a discreet glare at Mal and disappearing around the corner.

Mal stares at Ben and recognizes the raised eyebrows in an attempt to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"Do you like cookies?" Mal asks as she withdraws a baggie from her pocket.

"Oh, sorry; I'll have to pass," he informs her. "I don't eat before a big game."

"You need to keep your energy up," Mal points out.

Ben shrugs. "Yeah, but-"

"No, I understand," Mal rushes to say. "Probably smart not to accept food from a _villain_."

Ben's eyes widen as he processes Mal's words.

Mal shrugs as she raises the cookie to her lips.

"More for me, I guess."

Ben snatches the cookie from Mal, and he takes a bite.

"See?" He says through a mouthful of food. "I totally trust you."

First phase of the plan: complete

* * *

Mal overhears the conversation shortly after their date at the lake.

"Bennie-Boo," Audrey stresses, "Chad is nice and all, but you're my one true love. Please forget about the villain girl."

"I love her," Ben corrects under the spell of the cookie (or is he?).

"Why?" Audrey whines. "She's an evil mean girl from the Isle of the Lost. She's dangerous, sneaky, and she's manipulating you into thinking she's good, but we all know she's not."

 _Why thank you_ , Mal thinks in a posh tone of voice

"I am a smart, beautiful, popular princess that deserves you much more than her!"

Geesh, she's whiny, Mal muses. Somebody forget to take their nap?

"No, you don't, Audrey!" Ben snaps. "You're selfish, whiney, and narcissistic! I was willing to overlook all of that, but I am not willing to overlook you bashing a person who is obviously a better person than you!"

The cookie didn't make Ben say that, Mal realizes. The cookie makes him love Mal, but it doesn't change his personality.

Mal doesn't know that Ben is no longer under the spell. The cookie wasn't even a factor in the equation. Ben's love for Mal, along with his words to Audrey, were all him.

 _Way to pacify the big baby, Ben_ , Mal thinks before sneaking away.

* * *

Mal hears them again after the coronation.

"Ben, she tried to destroy Aurodan!" Audrey is saying.

"She also saved it!" Ben points out.

"So that makes up for nearly destroying our home?"

"In my book, it does," Ben decides. "Besides, Mal was finally starting to become good before you and your grandmother turned sour on her. Carlos, Evie, and Jay told me that she was doubting the plan and was likely going to back out before parents day."

"Can you blame us?" Audrey demands. "Her mother is Maleficent."

"So? Your mother is Aurora, and you are not kind, gentle, wise, or anything like your mother. You're a bitter girl who loves deceiving people. Besides, what do you have against Mal? She's the child of a villian? I'm dating her and not you? I saw you dancing with Jay. I'm not jealous, and if you haven't noticed, he's the child of a villain, too. You're just bitter because I know who you really are now, and Mal has known from the beginning."

Ben strolls around the corner and nearly runs into Mal, who calmly holds out her hand to the shocked king.

"Way to pacify her, Ben," she says.

Ben grins as he takes her hand.

"I'm not typically rude, but she had it coming."

Mal laughs. "That is something we both know."

* * *

 _See you next time._


	8. Carlos: Mad Hatter

_Here's Mad Hatter! I will warn you, it's a bit all over the place, but it's meant to be that way._

 _Italicized: memory_

regular: present day

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

 ** _WARNINGS: UNDERAGE DRINKING, SELF HARM, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, OC CHARACTER DEATH, BOYXBOY, VIOLENCE_**

* * *

 _I'm peeling the skin off my face_

 _'Cause I really hate being safe_

 _The normals, they make me afraid_

 _The crazies, they make me feel sane_

 _I'm nuts, baby, I'm mad_

 _The craziest friend that you've ever had_

 _You think I'm psycho, you think I'm gone_

 _Tell the psychiatrist something is wrong_

 _Over the bend, entirely bonkers_

 _You like me best when I'm off my rocker_

 _Tell you a secret, I'm not alarmed_

 _So what if I'm crazy? The best people are_

 _All the best people are crazy, all the best people are_

-"Mad Hatter" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

Carlos's mother had never been exactly sane, and growing up around her insanity and having the same genes as her meant Carlos wasn't exactly in his right mind either. Coming to Aurodan had definitely helped, but after the bullying started, Carlos's mental state began to deteriorate.

"Hey, little doggie," Brad, one of the older students, taunted as he shoved his hand against Carlos's shoulder.

"Leave me alone, Brad," Carlos grumbled. "I need to get to class."

"Oh, right, you're the goody two shoes villain kid. News flash, kid: Aurodan doesn't want the child of a villain, and the Isle doesn't want a goody two shoes. Looks like you don't fit in anywhere."

Carlos scowled. He knew it was true, but that didn't give Brad the right to point it out.

"Leave me alone," Carlos repeated, and he tried to walk past Brad, who immediately shoved him back.

That's when the voices started.

 _"Hurt him,"_ they hissed. " _Hurt him like he hurt you."_

No, Carlos thought. I won't.

 _"Yes, you will. They hurt you, tease you, beat you up. If you don't do something now, it'll be just like the Isle. A slave to your mother because you were too afraid to stand up to her."_

Carlos didn't want to admit it, but the voices were becoming more and more persuasive.

"Do it. Before he uses you just like your mother used you."

"What's wrong, De Vil?" Brad mocked. " _Dog_ got your tongue?"

Carlos's fist was in movement before he knew what was happening.

Brad stumbled back as Carlos's fist connected with his nose.

The world went black.

* * *

When the world came back into focus, Carlos was staring at a bleeding and bruised Brad lying on his back. Brad was sobbing, and footsteps were hurriedly approaching from down the hall.

Carlos's eyes widened, and he was running before he could process the signal from his brain to his legs.

The walls were rushing past him in a blur, and he could only feel the soles of his feet slapping against the tiled floor. Anything else was meaningless and irrelevant.

Carlos skidded into the room he shared with Jay, who was thankfully not there, and he raced over to the closet, slamming the door behind him. Carlos curled up on the floor with his knees to his chest and his shaking hands over his ears.

It couldn't be happening. Not again.

*FLASHBACK*

 _Laughter. It filled the woods as Carlos's feet crunched over the fallen leaves on the forest floor. He could see Max, his best friend, ahead of him._

 _Max was just as crazy as him. He'd been born to Madam Medusa, and he'd inherited her madness, just like Carlos had inherited his mother's. It felt good to have someone that understood what it was like to be crazy._

 _Max stripped off his shirt and leaped into the lake (it wasn't very deep, so their lack of swimming abilities didn't matter)._

 _Carlos followed after kicking off his shoes, and the boys spent hours chuckling and splashing each other. From a distance, they certainly didn't look mad, but anyone who knew Max and Carlos stayed far, far away._

*FLASHBACK 2*

 _Carlos dragged the knife across his wrist, watching as the blood trickled down his skin. The red color was mesmerizing._

 _Max stared at him, blood dripping down his knuckles. Max was the violent one; when he needed a break from feeling numb, he searched for a person to fight. Carlos sought after the knife._

*FLASHBACK 3*

 _"Chug?" Max offered._

 _Carlos nodded before the two boys began swallowing their alcohol at top speed._

 _"Winner!" Carlos called, drunkenly, as he slammed his bottle down seconds before Max._

 _The flashbacks were coming quicker, blurring together with little to no break between each._

*FLASHBACK 4*

 _Carlos smashed his lips against Max's as they moved against each other. They were so in sync; Carlos moved when Max did, and vice versa._

 _"I love you, Max," Carlos murmured._

 _Max smiled. "I love you, too, Car."_

Carlos sobbed. "Stop! Please!" he screamed at no one.

*FLASHBACK 5*

 _Max was crazy, around the bend, completely bonkers, but he hadn't hit his breaking point yet. The day he did was the day Carlos began rapidly approaching him._

 _The crowd was gathered around something in the center of town, and Carlos shoved his way through._

 _Max. Sprawled across the ground, having obviously jumped from the balcony. Blood created angel wings around the boy, and his eyes were wide open, glazed over with death._

 _Carlos doubled back, and he was running before he even realized what he was doing._

Carlos screamed, loudly, thankful for the thick walls.

 _Carlos found himself on the cliff beside the lake, and he scrambled onto the ledge._

 _He wouldn't be able to live without Max._

Carlos fumbled through the pockets of his pants and withdrew a sewing needle.

 _Carlos took one foot off the cliff._

Carlos pressed the needle against his arm, right above his vein.

 _A hand grabbed Carlos's arm and yanked him off of the cliff._

A hand smacked the needle away from Carlos.

 _Carlos looked up, and he could see a person through his tear filled eyes._

Carlos glanced towards the person, and he immediately recognized them.

 _Jay Gemstone, son of Jafar._

Jay.

Carlos dissolved into tears, and he fell into Jay's arms, screaming and sobbing.

"It's okay," Jay murmured.

Carlos shook his head. "No, it's not. I'm crazy."

"I know," Jay agreed, "but all the best people are."

Things didn't immediately snap from insanity to sanity, but the lines between reality and fantasy stopped blurring so much.

 **"All the best people are."**

* * *

 _Like I said, a bit all over the place, but madness causes a scattered mind sometimes._

 _Thanks for reading!_


	9. Girls: Dear Porcupine

_I love this song because as a girl, I can relate to it._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

 ** _WARNINGS: VERY, VERY VAGUE SEXUAL REFERENCES ( SERIOUSLY, YOU WON'T NOTICE THEM IF YOU DON'T SQUINT)_**

* * *

 _Now they want a whisper, a whisper from me,_

 _'Cause all of them have watched me on their big screen TVs_

 _But what about little ol', little ol' me,_

 _The one who got bullied because of her teeth._

 _I hope you all are watching my middle finger rise_

 _To the bullies in the school yard. I know I'm on your mind,_

 _Now you say you love me, but what about before,_

 _When I was just that silly little girl next door._

 _Oh, oh_

-"Dear Porcupine" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

Audrey sipped from her cup of tea as she flipped through a fashion magazine; she was sitting at the picnic table outside Aurodan Prep, trying to get some alone time beneath the shade of a tall tree.

"Hey, beautiful," a voice drawled, and Audrey rolled her eyes. As a beautiful princess, she was used to being hit on by guys, but that didn't mean she ever got used to it.

A guy sat beside her, and he wasn't bad looking, but he wouldn't be winning any awards for his looks either. The smirk plastered across his face didn't help matters either.

"Leave me alone," she ordered, turning back to her magazine.

"Don't be like that," another guy said as he sat beside Audrey. He was more handsome than his friend, but Audrey didn't go for jerks that had nothing better to do than flirt with girls.

"Get away from me," Audrey snapped.

"Fiesty!" the boys yelled in tandem as they bumped their fists against each other.

"Why don't we go somewhere a little more _private_?" the second boy asked, wiggling his eyebrows, suggestively.

Audrey scowled and smacked the boy with her magazine so hard, he fell backwards off the bench and scampered away. She turned to the other boy, who raised his hands in surrender and followed his friend.

Audrey sighed as she opened her magazine.

Boys will be boys, she thought, repeating what adults often said to her. Well, if boys will be boys, why can't girls be girls and not objects?

* * *

"Hey, Evie," Chad said as he leaned against the doorframe. "How would you like to-"

"No," Evie replied, not even letting him finish the statement.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask!" Chad exclaimed.

"You were going to ask me out for the third time this week, and for the millionth time, I will not date you. You had your chance," Evie told him.

"Look, I made a-"

"Chad," Evie sighed. "I haven't changed from before. I am now popular and some people even see me as a hero, which I don't agree with, but the only reason you want to date me now is because it'll help your reputation. If you date me, you won't forever be known as the player that got told off by the daughter of Evil Queen."

"But-"

"Chad, save it. Before I became popular in Aurodan, you wouldn't give me the time of day. Why do you think I should give you a second chance?"

"Because I'm handsome," he bragged, "charming, charismatic, rich, and a prince."

"Yeah, but you're also a jerk, and jerks are not my type," Evie said before gently pushing him out of her room and slamming the door in his face.

* * *

"Jane!"

Jane sighed as one of the male students ran up to her.

"Yes, Mark?" she replied, politely.

"Nice hair," he said. "Would you like to go out with me?" he added, abruptly.

Jane raised an eyebrow. "No."

Mark's eyes widened. "Why?"

"First of all, I'm dating someone else. Two, you used to call me ugly. Now I've changed my hair, and you've changed your thoughts?"

"Jane, I made a mistake," Mark stressed. "Give me a chance."

Jane chuckled. "Sorry, Mark, but you had your chance, and you blew it by being a jerk. I am now dating another boy, and unlike you, _he_ is a gentleman."

Jane walked away from the shocked boy, and she met Carlos half way across the yard.

"Need me to take care of him?" Carlos asked.

Jane laughed. "No. He's pathetic enough without getting beaten up by a kid half his size."

Carlos gaped. "Did Jane, the nicest girl on campus, call a person pathetic?"

She nodded. "I did. It's funny thinking he used to be one of the most popular boys at school and now, he's doing puzzles alone in his dorm room. Should've went after the good girls and not the trashy ones that dragged him down."

Carlos nodded. "I'm glad he didn't, though. Otherwise, I may not have you."

Jane smiled. "And here I thought, there were no more gentlemen in this world."

* * *

"Mal!"

Mal turned to see a boy running up to her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" she responded.

"How would you like to go to a party with me?" the boy asked right off the bat. "I'll pick you up at seven."

"Woah!" Mal exclaimed. "I never said yes."

The boy frowned. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Well, first of all, I have a boyfriend. Two, I don't even know your name, and I don't want to know how you know mine."

"I heard you and Ben had a falling out, and everyone knows your name. You're all over TV."

Mal rolled her eyes. "That's a fantastic thing to say. That's basically telling me you saw me on TV and never noticed me before all of Aurodan knew me."

The boy blinked. "That's not what I-"

"And just because Ben and I had a falling out doesn't mean I'm on the market," Mal replied. "See you, boy."

"Wait," the boy called, but Mal had already walked away.

At least Ben was a gentleman, Mal thought.

* * *

"Lonnie!" A voice yelled, and Lonnie turned to see a boy she recognized to be Simon White. "How are you? You're looking well."

Lonnie blinked. "Thanks?" It came out as more of a question than a statement.

"I was wondering if you would… maybe… go on a date with me?" he asked.

Lonnie sighed. "I'm sorry, Simon, but I like somebody else."

"Come on," Simon said, grabbing her arm. "Give me a chance."

"I said no, Simon," Lonnie replied, firmly, trying to pull her arm away.

Simon's lips smashed against her's.

"Mm!" Lonnie yelled, shoving Simon away. "Stop it."

"Don't be like that, Lonnie," he said, trying to kiss her again.

"Hey!" A voice yelled. "She said stop!"

"Stay out of this, Gemst-"

Lonnie took advantage of his distraction. She smacked him across the face with her handbag, and he fell backwards, holding his mouth. Blood dripped from his split lip.

"Next time, stop when I say stop," she snarled before walking away.

"Well, he was a jerk," Jay said, casually. "Nice hit."

Lonnie nodded. "Thanks. For the compliment and distracting him."

Jay shrugged. "It was nothing. You don't deserve to be hit on by jerks like him."

Lonnie nodded. "I know. Besides, I like someone else."

Jay nodded. "You do? Who?"

Lonnie stopped and stood beside Jay before lightly kissing him on the lips.

"I like you, too," Jay said once they parted.

Lonnie smiled. She knew that Jay was not one of the notorious porcupines that were continuously stabbing girls. He was actually a gentleman.

* * *

Dear Porcupines,

It's not going to happen. Get over it.

-Girls

* * *

 _I'm not saying all guys are jerks or anything, but here's a tip to all guys out there: if a girl doesn't like you hitting on her the first time, doing it again and again will not help your case. Just some advice._

 _Anyone, thank you to the real gentlemen, and thank you to everyone for reading._


	10. Cour Four: A Million Men

_This is a DARK chapter. Not meant for children. This is high T, maybe even M, depending on what you consider to be rated M._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

 ** _WARNINGS: NON GRAPHIC RAPE_**

* * *

 _Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?_

 _They cut me up in places,_

 _I don't even understand,_

 _It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?_

 _I'm ten years old,_

 _Runnin' from a million men._

 _A million men._

 _-_ "A Million Men" by Melanie Martinez

* * *

Evie was way too young to understand when her mother tossed her to the wolves.

She was five years old when her mother grabbed her by the hand and took her into one of their many guest bedrooms. A tall, thin man was waiting for them.

"You have an hour," Evil Queen said. "Pay up."

The man handed her mother a basket of beauty supplies and creams and make up and such. Obviously, the nicest collection you could get on the Isle.

Her mother exited the room, leaving Evie alone with the man, who approached her with a smile that made her stomach turn.

"Don't be afraid, honey," the man said, kneeling down and grabbing her chin to prevent her from taking a step back. "I won't hurt you."

He touched his lips against her's, and his fingers grazed her thigh, beginning to snake its way under her skirt.

Something felt so wrong about this, but five year old Evie didn't know what it was.

She didn't understand.

She's five years old, and she's sleeping with a man eight times her age, and she wants to know why.

* * *

Jay was running. He really had no other choice.

His father had forgotten to pay one of his debts again, and his father was flat out broke, so he decided to pay the men with something else. His only son.

There were three of them, and Jay could tell from the spark in his father's eyes that this wouldn't be the last time this happened.

He'd broken free before they'd gotten what they came for, and his feet hammered against the cobblestones on the ground. He was in a dark alley, and he could see light at the end of the path.

"Gotcha!"

Hands grabbed him from behind and threw him into the dirt. He was being pinned down by three men much older and stronger than him.

"Jay!" A familiar voice shouted, but Jay couldn't place it in his panic.

The person tried to help Jay, but two of the men grabbed the boy and pinned him to the ground. Even _one_ of the men managed to keep Jay on the ground.

"Please!" Jay begged. He wasn't proud of it, but his pride was the least of his worries now.

The man just laughed.

They took turns, and by the end, Jay was sobbing and broken. The men ran away, releasing both Jay and the other boy, but Jay was in too much pain-both emotional and physical- to move.

The boy appeared at his side, and Jay recognized him.

"Go," Jay snapped, wiping away his tears.

"You don't want me to leave," the boy said.

"How would you know?" Jay growled.

The boy smiled, weakly and bitterly.

"Because I know how it feels," Carlos De Vil replied.

* * *

Carlos slid into the limousine that would take him and his friends to Aurodan.

"Woo-hoo!" someone hollered, and Carlos glanced out the window to see three middle aged men staring back.

 ***FLASHBACK***

"No, Mom! Please!" Carlos begged as his mother approached the door. She was too busy counting the cash in her hands to notice his pleas.

She was selling him. Her only child.

"No! No! Stop!" Carlos wailed as the men pinned him to the floor, laughing and whistling as they tore his clothes off. "No!"

"Come on, kid," one of them chuckled. "It won't hurt."

The man lied. It hurt more than anything Carlos had ever felt before, and his heart hurt more than his body if that was even possible.

The men left the room, but they never left Carlos's memory.

 ***FLASHBACK OVER***

A hand touched his shoulder, and Carlos turned to see Jay staring back. The limo was pulling away from the crowd. The look in Jay's eyes made his message very clear:

We're free.

Carlos was fourteen and running from the men; he could only hope his past never caught up to him.

* * *

Mal didn't know how Ben found out, but he did, and she didn't know how to explain any of it.

 ***FLASHBACK***

Mal screamed as she was thrown into a wall, and hands pressed her shoulders into the bricks at her back.

"Let me go!" she growled, turning her eyes green.

The man smiled with rotten teeth. "Don't even try that, girly."

"My mother is Maleficent. She will kill you!"

"Oh, honey, who do you think sent me?"

Mal's eyes widened. No. Her mother wouldn't.

Hands were everywhere, and she was crying and kicking and scratching, but nothing she did granted her the upper hand.

She didn't surrender, but she didn't win either. The man got what he came for and left.

He left a fractured heart and a bitter little girl behind.

The next week, the man was found beaten to a bloody pulp in a back alleyway. He had no memory of the event, and no one ever found out who did it. Mal wanted to keep it that way.

 ***FLASHBACK OVER***

"Don't even try, Ben!" she shouted. "You don't know what it's like!"

Ben nodded. "I know I don't. I'm not trying to understand. You don't have to talk about it until you're ready."

Mal's eyes watered at the statement. She didn't tell anyone because she was afraid they would press her to talk about it, and Ben saying she didn't have to talk until she was ready… it meant more to her than words can say.

Mal broke down in her boyfriend's arms.

She was sixteen with a history of rape and violence and a man she would never forget, but with Ben, maybe she could move on.

* * *

 _Hi, guys. This is not the last chapter, but the story will not be a priority now. I will be doing chapters as I get requests or if I have a sudden burst of inspiration when it comes to this story. This could mean months between updates. That does not mean the story is complete or abandoned. It means I'm waiting on requests. Even if I eventually label the story as complete, you can still give me a request and I will likely do it._

 _Thanks for reading!_


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